A 41-year-old man from Western Sydney has been refused bail after being charged with the alleged sexual assault of an 84-year-old woman inside her home, following what police say was an offer to carry her groceries.
Faisal Siddiqi, of Fairfield, was arrested on Friday afternoon as part of an investigation launched by the NSW Police Sex Crimes Squad under Strike Force Bena. The alleged incident took place on 15 April in Merrylands, a suburb in Sydney’s west.
According to police, the elderly woman was approached near Charles Mance Reserve by a man unknown to her, who offered to help carry her shopping bags. Upon arriving at her home, it is alleged that the man forced his way inside, sexually assaulted her, urinated in a bucket, and then fled the scene, taking with him her house keys and handbag.
Following an extensive public appeal and the release of CCTV images, police arrested Siddiqi at a Harris Street unit complex in Fairfield. He was taken to Fairfield Police Station and charged with sexual intercourse without consent and common assault.
During a bail hearing at Parramatta Bail Court on Saturday, prosecutors alleged Siddiqi pushed the woman onto her bed before sexually assaulting her, and that he left behind DNA evidence in the form of a urine sample. Swabs taken from the woman and the bucket were undergoing forensic analysis, with results expected within the week.
In court, Siddiqi’s defence barrister, Mariah Maltezos, argued that her client denied the allegations and did not match the initial description provided by the victim.
She noted that the woman had described her attacker as being in his 20s or 30s, wearing dark clothing, and speaking Hindi. She also pointed out that during a police search of Siddiqi’s home, the allegedly stolen house keys were not found.
Despite the defence’s objections, Magistrate Les Brennan described the evidence against Siddiqi as part of a “very strong prosecution case”, citing the forensic evidence and supporting witness statements.
He denied the bail application, saying the seriousness of the charges and the likelihood of a significant custodial sentence if convicted presented an unacceptable risk of flight.
Siddiqi, who was already under seven community corrections orders at the time of the alleged offence, remains in custody. He is yet to enter a plea and is scheduled to reappear at Parramatta Local Court on 19 June.
NSW Police have reiterated their appeal for anyone with information relating to the incident to come forward.
